As we age, our bodies gradually wear out, and activities that once weren’t difficult become just that. For Thor, an auto technician with a 40-year work history, that time came far too soon. Post-operative complications following a total knee replacement left him unable to complete standing-to-floor transitions, which are necessary to ensure safe vehicle placement on floor jacks. Because he could not go from standing to lying on the floor (and vice versa) 40 to 60 times a day, he could no longer work as an auto technician. Thor was then moved to a different division in his workplace where he took a significant pay cut.
Thor’s DRS counselor made a referral to IATP’s Vocational Rehabilitation Program. He was evaluated at his workplace for solutions to help him return to work as an auto technician. The only possible solution found (through Thor’s own research) was a device called the “Human Hoist.” This battery-powered device would take Thor from sitting to a fully reclined position (on his back) with the touch of a button in a matter of seconds. He could then roll around on the device to reach the perfect access point for positioning each jack arm under a vehicle, then raise himself back up to a seated position the same way. The problem was the device’s prohibitive cost; Thor felt he had no chance of obtaining it.
After the comprehensive assistive technology evaluation was completed and no other alternative solutions were found, the Human Hoist was purchased for him using funds from IATP’s Open-Ended Loan (OEL) Program. When Thor received this device at his workplace, plans to return him to his position as an auto-mechanic began immediately. Thor is beyond grateful to IATP and the OEL Program for making it possible for him to return to the work he was born to do.